Becoming Baba: Fatherhood, Faith, and Finding Meaning in America

Slate staff writer Ismail debuts with a tender autobiography that covers his childhood in New Jersey and his complex relationship with religion. “When I was growing up, the very air in our home contained a hush reverence around the Quran,” Ismail writes. He attended elementary school in a mosque in Jersey City, and was raised among fellow practicing Muslims until he was a teenager. After 9/11, Ismail’s parents enrolled him in a public school, launching a “tug-of-war” within him “between tradition and self-discovery.” Never content to rebel but interested in peeking beyond the strictures of his religious upbringing, he started working in journalism in New York City, first on the photo and video team at an art magazine and then as a political writer for Slate, covering high-profile cases including the murder of George Floyd by police and the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Eventually, the book zeroes in on Ismail’s relationship with the open-minded Mira, who prompted him to unpack his ideas about family and religion as the pair married and had children. Lucid and openhearted, this inquiry into what makes a good life will resonate with readers of all faiths. Photos. Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (July)